Multiple plot allotment case: More VIPs in dock

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 29

An accused in the multiple plot allotment case today placed more VIPs in the dock. Building up a case of discrimination against the HUDA, he came out with nearly 25 more names of politicians and bureaucrats, including Haryana former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal.

The accused claimed a plot was even allotted to Nar Bahadur Thapa, Bhajan Lal’s security guard. The other names included Youth Congress leader Ramesh Pawar, “Kulbir Singh son of Kartar Singh, ex-minister”, “Subhash Katyal son of Bihari Lal, ex-minister” and IAS officer NK Jain.

The list provided by applicant Raghbir Singh through counsel Harmanjit Singh Sethi is in addition to a directory of “50 top officials and politicians having multiple allotments, but whose names have deliberately not been disclosed or FIRs not registered”.

Taking up his plea for bringing on record additional facts, Justice Daya Chaudhary of the High Court made it clear that the Bench on the next date of hearing would hear arguments on handing over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Justice Chaudhary also called for a fresh status report in the matter.

The Bench was told earlier the surfacing of names of 75 additional beneficiaries allegedly left out by HUDA from its list had cast doubts on the fairness of its inquiry.

Adding another dimension to the controversy, Sethi said a clique of HUDA officials, Haryana Police and the complainant in the case was operating. They were out to protect the high and the mighty, and to extract money from people against whom FIRs had been registered or have multiple plots. The money was being demanded to “burn/tear affidavits/files of multiple plot allottees, especially the high and the mighty”.

He added the High Court had, on a previous date of hearing, made it clear that coercive method would not be adopted. But the police have been hounding the allottees against whom FIRs have been registered despite specific directions by the court. “When the orders of this court are shown to them, they with utter disdain claim they take orders from their sahibs and not courts.”

Referring to the state’s plea for disposing of the matter, Sethi said HUDA and the state “want a licence from this court not to prosecute the high and the mighty. The applications show that the state and HUDA are only going to prosecute 329 allottees against whom FIRs have already been registered and not going to prosecute the rest.

“This is nothing but dishonesty on the part of the state and HUDA. They have assumed unto themselves the powers of a court and have already declared such VIPs not guilty.”